Planograph co



R. A. JONES.

SOAP PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8.1913. RENEWED APR. 29, 1916.

l ,809,986. Patented July 15, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANQQRAPH C0" WASHINGTON, n. c

R. A. JONES.

SOAP PRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATlON FILED APR. 3. 1913- RENEWED APR 29.1916. 1 ,809,986, Patented July 15, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co-. WASHINGTON, D. c.

R. A. JONES.

SOAP PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, I913. RENEWED APR. 29,1916. 1,309,986.

Patented July 15, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- THB coLUM BlA PLANOGRAPH co.. IVASHING'NN. D. C.

R. A. JONES.

SOAP PRESSING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED APR.8| I913- RENEWED APR. 29, I916. 1 ,3Q9,986 PatentedJuly 15,1919.

5 SHEETS SHEET 4.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50-. WASHINGTON, D. L-

A; JONES.

SOAP PRESSING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. I913. RENEWED APR.29, I916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAi'H cp., WASHINGTON, n. c.

RUEL A. JONES, 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

SOAP-PRESSIN'G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed April 8, 1913, Serial No. 759,764. Renewed April 29,1916. Serial No. 94,519.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, Rent. A. J ONES, acitizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county ofKenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Soap-Pressing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

While the machine embodying this invention is not limited in its use tothe pressing of soap, it was devised primarily for that purpose, andwill be described as a soap pressing) machine.

ne of the steps in the manufacture of soap is the pressing of the soapinto cakes. This is usually performed by dies which, as a general rule,are provided with means to apply to the surface of the soap letters ordesigns in relief or intaglio, as the case may be.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an automatic machinefor doing this work, which shall be simple in construction and efficientin operation.

In order to more fully describe my said invention, reference will be hadto the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1, is a top plan view of a machine embodying one specific form ofmy inven-.

tion;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the said machine partly in section, and withportions removed;

Fig. 3, an end elevation of the said ma chine with portions removed;

Fig. 4, a detail top plan view partly in section of a portion of thedriving mechanism;

Fig. 5, a detail side elevation partly in section showing the feedingmechanism;

Fig. 6, a detail section on line 6 6 Fig. looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fig. 7, a top plan view partly in section of the parts shownin Fig. 5;

Fig. 8, a fragmentary detail top plan view showing the mechanism forholding th soap cakes within the carrier in the die pressing position;

Fig. 9, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10, a fragmentary detail top plan View partly in section of thecarrier and associated parts, including the mechanism for impartingstep-by-step movement to said carrier;

a detail section on line 9 9 Fig. 11, an enlarged detail View partly insection showing the diesin the act of coming together on a cake of soap;and,

Fig. 12, a perspective view of a cake of soap after being pressed.

Referring to the accompanyin drawings, 1 represents the main frame ofthe machine consisting of a metal casting preferably made heavy toreduce vibration, and 2 the main driving shaft journaled in frame 1hanger 3 made fast to said frame. Shaft 2 is driven from any desiredsource of power through pulley 4 which acts also as a fly wheel. Thispulley is rotatable on shaft 2 and constitutes the loose running memberof a friction clutch comprising, among other parts, a clutch member 5connected to said shaft to rotate therewith, but slidable longitudinallythereon by means of links 6, fork 7, connecting rod 8, and hand operatedlever 9.

Power from shaft 2 is transmitted through a pair of miter gears 10 and11, to a vertical shaft 12, and intermittent rotary motion is impartedfrom this shaft 12 to another vertical shaft 13, and thence throughgears 14: and 15 to another vertical shaft 16, which latter shaftcarries at its upper end a carrier 17, having a sleeved hub 18, whichslips over the upper end of shaft 16, and is made fast thereto as shown.This carrier has three radial arms 20 (see Figs. 8 and 9), spacedequally about its hub, and all lying in the same horizontal plane, andin each of these arms is formed an opening 21 which passes verticallythrough the carrier. I

The intermittent motion of shaft 13 is effected through the medium of aGeneva clutch comprising a driver 22, and a follower 23, the driver 22being made fast to shaft 12, and the follower fast to shaft 13. Thefollower 23 is provided with six slots 24:, spaced equally radially andadapted to be engaged successively by an upright stud or spindle 25 ofthe driver, so that each revolution of the shaft 12 imparts one-sixth ofa revolution to the shaft 13. Gears 14: and 15, however, are soproportioned that for each step of the shaft 13, the shaft 16 willrotate one-third of a revolution.

The three steps to a revolution, of the carrier 17 correspond to threeacts performed upon the soap for a given. cake. The first and in a itsact is to deliver a blank of soap to the carrier; the second, is to diepress this blank; and the third, is to expel the pressed cake from thecarrier to a suitable conveyer which transports it away from. themachine.

Taking up the mechanisms for PBIfOlll'lring these several acts in theorder named, reference will first be had :to the delivery or feedingmechanism. This mechanism in the case shown comprises, among otherparts, a chute 26 made fast to an angle plate 27 secured to a bracket28, which is in turn secured to the main frame of the machine as shown.In the particular case illustrated, it is assumed that the blanks ofsoap 29, fed to the machine, are cylindrical in form, which is the usualform employed when the finished cakes are convex top and bottom, asshown in Fig. 12', where 30 represents the present cake. In this casethe blanks 29 are placed in the chute as shown, a portion of the chutebeing vertical, or substantially so,

so that the successive blanks will rest one upon the other. Adapted totravel across the lower end of the chute which has an open mouth, is areciprocating blade or plate 31, which normally supports the soap blanksin the chute against gravity. Thls plate is made fast to the under sideof a cross-head block 31 which is mounted to slide on a slotted arm 32,made fast to the chute as shown. Reciprocating motion is imparted tocross-head 31 through lever arms 33 and 34, which, receive their motionthrough a link or connecting rod 35, connected to a verticallyreciprocating bar 36, which receives its motion through mechanismhereinafter more particularly described.

On each step of the carrier 17, one of the openings 21 thereof stopsimmediately beneath the mouth of the delivery chute, and immediatelythat this happens, the support ing plate 31 travels backward,therebyremoving its support from the soap blanks and allowing one ofthese to drop into said opening, but before the carrier takes up itsrotation, this supporting plate passes forward between the lowermostsoap blank and the next one in the tier, thereby supporting the blankswithin the chute and leaving the one in the turn-table free to travelwith said table. This operation is repeated at regular intervals on eachone-third revolution of the carrier.

When delivered to the openings 21 of the carrier, the soap blanks restfor a time upon a platform comprising a plate 37 which follows the pathof the travel of the soap cake around to the point 37 where the saidplatform terminates. (See Fig. 10). This platform is supported upon asuitable upright or bracket 38, made fast to the main frame of themachine.

The soap blank having been delivered to the carrier 17 as described, thesaid carrier takes up its step-by-step motion, and carries the blankaround to the die pressing position where it again stops.

Passing next to the die pressing mechanism, this comprises, among otherparts, two dies 39' and 40, made fast respectively totwoverticallyreciprocating plunger bars 36 and 41, mounted in suitable bearingssecured to the machine frame as shown. These two dies move equally inopposite directions simultaneously so as to engage opposite sides of thesoap blank as the latter is brought into the path of the dies by thecarrier 17.

The required motion is imparted to plunger rods 36 and 41 from the maindriving shaft 2 through the following mechanism (see Figs. 3 and 4) Madefast to the shaft 2, is a crank disk 42, having a crank pin 43 to whichis connected a pitman 44, in which is mounted a yieldable plunger block45, movable longitudinally in a slot in said pitman against thecompression of a spring 46, the tension of which may be varied orregulated by screw 47 Plunger block 45 is connected by bolt 48 to onearm of a bellcrank lever 49, fulcrumed as at 50, on the frame of themachine as shown, said bolt passing through slot 51 in the arm of saidlever and resting upon the upper end of an adjusting screw 51*. Byadjusting this screw 51 the distance of bolt 48' from the fulcrum 50 maybe varied so as to vary the throw of lever 49. For example, if the bolt48 is slid toward the fulcrum 50, the throw or travel of the lever isincreased, while if it is slid in the opposite direction the throw isdiminished. The reason for this adjustment will hereinafter more readilyappear. The other arms 52 and 53 of lever 49 are connected respectivelythrough links 54 and 55, with the vertically reciprocating plungers 36and 41.

It will therefore be seen that as shaft 2 rotates, rocking motion willbe imparted to the arm 52 and 53 of the bell-crank lever 49, whichcauses the dies 39 and 40 to approach each other, and then separateperiodically.

When the pitman 44 travels so as to bring the dies together; that is, tothe left in Fig.

3, motion is imparted to lever 49 through the spring 46. Both dies aretherefore brought against the soap against the compression of but oneand the same spring. This not only simplifies the construction, but itinsures absolute uniformity in the cushion-ing of the dies.

The next stop of the carrier 17, after a given piece of soap has beenfed into it as described, brings this soap blank around in position inalinement with the dies, when the carrier momentaril stops. Theoperation of these dies is so timed with respect to the movement of thecarrier 1'7, that when the carrier stops the soap blank in the pressingposition, the lower die has risen to a point to receive the blank as itpasses off the platform 37. The dies continuing their movement towardeach other close in on the soap, entering the opening in the carrier andpressing the blank, in the case shown, into the form shown in Figs. 11and 12.

Just about the time the pressure on the soap by the die begins, fingers56 and 57 enter the opening 21 in the carrier then in alinement with thedies. (See Fig. 8). The soap is then pressed by the dies around theportion of the fingers extending into the opening, which thereby becomemolded into the soap. These fingers remain thus in the soap until justafter the dies have separated from it and move outward only in time tojust clear the carrier before it commences to travel, thereby preventingthe cake from dropping onto the lower die before the carrier begins tomove.

It is true, as a general rule, that the cake after being pressed, andafter the dies have separated therefrom, will remain in position in thecarrier largely by adhesion to the sides of the opening, but in casethis adhesion is not effective, the fingers 56 and 57 will hold thecake'long enough after the dies have separated and a sufliciently shorttime before the movement of the carrier to permit the carrier totransport the cake to the ejecting position without really giving ittime to fall out before it reaches that position.

Also in case one of the dies should adhere to the cake more than theother and thus tend to draw the cake along with it on its separatingtravel, the fingers; 56 and 57 would prevent this.

These retaining fingers 56 and 57 operate through slots 56 and 57 a ofthe carrier, there being two such slots for each arm of the carrier.

Motion is imparted to the retaining fingers 56 and 57 through levers 58and 59, to which said fingers are rigidly attached as shown. These levers are fulcrume-d as shown on a bracket 60 made fast to the main frameof the machine, and receive their motion respectively from two disk cams61 and 62, having grooves 63 and 64:, in which travel rollers 65 and 66,mounted on levers 58 and 59, respectively. These cam disks are mountedfast on shaft 12, and rotate continuously during the operation of themachine.

When the soap has been pressed as described, and the retaining fingers56 and 57 have traveled away from each other sufficiently to clear thepath of the rotating carrier 17, this carrier again rotates anotherstep, or one-third of a revolution, bringing the pressed cake intoposition to be expelled from the carrier.

This expelling mechanism comprises a vertically reciprocating lunger 67,having a head 68, which comes own on the cake of soap and pushes itthrough the carrier 17, when said cake drops upon a belt conveyer 69.The plunger 67 receives its reciprocating motion from the die plunger36, through a lever 70, connected to said die plunger by pivotal boltorpin 71, and fulcrumed on the frame of the machine as at 72. (See Figs.3 and 7). The plunger 67 is connected to lever 70 by pin 73 whichengages a slot 7f in said lever as shown most clearly in Fig. Theplunger 67 reciprocates in a guideway in bracket 28.

The conveyer belt 69 is carried by two rollers 75 and 76 (see Fig. 8)the former being supported for rotation by two arms 77 and 78, bolted tothe machine frame as shown. The roller 76 is fast on a shaft 7 9,journal-ed in a bracket 80, and this shaft receives its motion throughmiter gears 80 and 81, the former fast on shaft 79, and the latter faston shaft 12. Roller 76, therefore, imparts continuous motion to the beltconveyer 69 during the operation of the machine.

While the three operations above described, of delivering, pressing andexpelling the soap, take place as to any given cake in a succession ofthree steps, the mechanisms for performing these acts all operatesimultaneously, so that the operation is continuous; that is to say,while the delivery mecl1anism is operating to deliver soap to thecarrier, the preceding blank will be undergo ing the pressing operation,and the second preceding blank will be passing from the carrier 17 tothe conveyer belt 69, assuming that the two blanks have been fed intothe carrier.

The distance of the travel of the dies toward each other may be adjustedby shifting the position of bolt 48, as described, so as to adjust thedies to different thicknesses of soap cake.

The shape of the openings 21 of the carrier 17 will, of course, varyaccording to the shape of the soap cake to be pressed, as is also thecase with respect to the chute 26.

The specific arrangement of the whole feeding mechanism will depend moreor less upon the nature of the soap blank to be handled.

Various other modifications may be made in the construction of thismachine, and still be within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A machine of the class stated,comprising a carrier having a series of openings in which the materialto be pressed is inserted, dies for pressing said material in saidopenings, mechanism to effect movement of said dies whereby they arebrought into engagement with said material from opposite sides and thenseparated, holding means movable with respect to said opening, mechanismto send said holding means into position to engage With the materialoperated upon before the dies leave it and to Withdraw said holdingmeans from said material after the said dies leave it, and mechanism. tooperate said carrier to bring said material into operative relation tosaid dies.

2. A machine of the class stated, comprising a carrier-having an openingextending through it, dies adapted to approach said opening fromopposite sides to compress material Within said opening, mechanismcomprising a pair of movable fingers adapted to enter said opening andto be molded into said material by the compression thereof by said dies,and mechanism to operate said fingers to cause them to enter saidopening before the dies have completed the pressing 'of the material andto Withdraw them from said opening after the dies have separated fromsaid material.

3. A machine of the class stated, comprising a member having an openingin which the material to be pressed is inserted, die pressing meansadapted to operate upon said material in said opening, holding meansmovable With respect to said opening, and

mechanism to send said holding means into position to be molded intosaid material by the action thereon of said die pressing means and toWithdraw said holding means from said material after the pressingoperation.

4. A machine of the class stated, comprising a carrier having a seriesof openings through it adapted to receive the material to be pressed, apair of dies adapted to ap proach said openings from opposite sides tocompress material Within them, stap-by-step mechanism to bring saidopenings periodically into operative relation to said dies, a

impart step-by-step rotary movement to said I carrier, mechanism to feedmaterial to said openings and comprising a delivery chute having an openmouth registering With one of the stopping positions of said openingsand a plate adapted to reciprocate across the mouth of said chute toalternately support the material in said chute and allow the same to bedischarged therefrom into said openings, mechanism to reciprocate saidplate, a stationary support on Which the material Within said openingsis carried during the first step of the carrier after receiving thematerial, a pair of reciprocating dies adapted to engage the material inthe second stopping position of" said carrier and press it Within saidopening, means comprising a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage thepressed material on the third stopping position of said carrier andeject the same from the carrier, a power shaft, and means connecting allsaid mechanismsto said power shaft.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

RUEL A. JONES.

Witnesses:

J OHN BOLsINGER, THOS F. MCGUIRE.

091" of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 4

